Roger Shaw - 10th great grandfather

Roger Shaw (1600-1661)

10th great grandfather

British Origins

Gawsworth Church

Most researchers speculate that Roger Shaw, was the son of Ralph Shaw, was born on 26 Aug 1594 and baptized Sep 1, 1594 at St Peter Upon Cornhill in London, England. On December 31, Dec 1618, a Roger Shaw married Anne Smyth  at St. Mary Somerset in London, England. But is this our Roger Shaw?  

Research by Edgar J. Shaw published in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, states our Roger Shaw was born in Cheshire, England near the village of Congleton around 1600.  Baptismal records for four of his children were found in the parish records of Gawsworth, Cheshire, namely Margaret (1626); Mary (1629); Ann (1632) and Joseph (1635). 

Gawsworth is a 3 1/2 hour drive by car north of London.

Cambridge, MA

Harvard/Cambridge 1836

Cambridge is situated on the north bank of the Charles River, opposite Boston. It was called Newetowne until 1638 when it was renamed  for Cambridge, England. Newtowne was laid out in an orderly grid of streets (a first for New England). Each family owned a house lot in the village, planting fields outside, and a share in the common land. Boston was eight long miles and a ferry ride away. 

Soon, Newtowne had a meetinghouse, a school, and a marketplace. In 1636, the Newe College (now Harvard) was founded to train young men for the ministry and positions of leadership within the godly community.

Sometime between 1635 and 1638) the Shaw family migrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony.  The first record in New England was the birth of his daughter Ester in 1638. His second son Benjamin was born in 1641. His daughter Mary died in Cambridge in 1639, but another daughter who they named Mary was born in 1645. 

The Shaw family settled in Cambridge. Roger bought a house, garden and 1 ½ acres of land in Cambridge from John Knight on 21 September 1639. He bought or obtained additional acreage so that when he was made a Freeman (1639), he owned more than 200 acres of land and had build a house on the south side of Arrow street. He must have joined the Church as it was a prerequisite for becoming a Freeman. Being a Freeman gave him the right to vote in local elections.

Roger became active in service to his town. In 1639 he served on a Jury. He served as the town clerk in 1640. He served as a selectman in 1641, 1642, 1643, 1645. Selectman were elected in town meetings to administer local government.

The Puritan fathers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony did not countenance opposing views; their colony was s a theocracy that brooked no dissent, religious or political.Although they left Europe in order to obtain religious freedom they did not tolerate any other form of religion. Many dissenters left the Massachusetts Bay Colony for Rhode Island and New Hampshire.  Perhaps Roger had become disenchanted with his new community for her soon left for New Hampshire.

Hampton, NH

image courtesy of Hampton Historical Society

Hampton was first called Plantation of Winnacunnet, Indian name for "pleasant pines". Long before the British arrived in 1638, Native Americans, had fished in the river and planted corn and beans in the rich meadow lands. Winnacunnet was  chartered by the General Court of Massachusetts on October 14,1638. 

In 1639 Rev. Stephen Bachiler arrived in Winnacunnet with a  group of settlers, and begin building the settlement. Due to some indiscretions, Bachiler was forced to leave the town, however, he is credited to have renamed to town Hampton. One fun fact, Hampton was the only town in New Hampshire to bring women to trial for witchcraft.

In 1640 Roger purchased land and a house in Hampton from John Crosse Sr. In 1648, Roger sold his holdings in Cambridge and moved the family to Hampton. He settled on the land he had purchased from Crosse. It is believed the Roger received an additional grant of land from the town. (The house was enlarged and improved by his son Benjamin and grandson Edward and was used as a garrison. It was torn down in the 1850's.)

In it unknown when Roger's wife Ann died and if in Cambridge or in Hampton, but in 1650, when seats in the new meeting house were being assigned, a seat was set aside for an unnamed wife suggesting Ann was no longer living. 

In Hampton, Roger again was in active in service to his town. He served as Representative to the General Court from 1651 - 1653. He was elected as a Selectman in 1649 and 1654. In 1651 he was appointed as "Commissioner for Trying Small Cases"; and in 1658 to a committee to review highways. He was made Constable for Hampton Oct. 1654.

About 1657 the town chose a committee consisting of Roger Shaw, Robert Page and Thomas Marston "to attend to the business of accommodating the minister both with housing and land his dwelling to be repaired at the towns expense."

Sometime in late 1653, Roger married Susanna Stoddard Tilton widow of William Tilton.

On February 8, 1654, the couple sold William Tilton’s land in Lynn including 2 acres and a house purchased from John Wing, three acres on Sagamore Hill, four acres of marsh, and a 12 acres planting lot. Poor Susanna died the following year and Roger never married again.

The money from the sale of William Tilton’s land went to his step children. In Apr. 1660 Roger gave 15 acres in Hampton and 5 acres of salt marsh to her son Samuel Tilton. According to Rogers probate, he had promised Samuel Tilton, her eldest son, £30 at age 21 and Samuel acknowledged receipt of the funds. He promised £10 to her youngest son Daniel Tilton which Roger’s executor, Joseph Shaw, paid to Daniel’s guardian, Samuel Tilton. 

Roger passed away on May 29, 1661 in Hampton at age 76, leaving two sons Joseph and Benjamin, and four daughters. In his will dated August 25, 1660, codicil dated March 20, 1661, probated in 1661, left bequests to sons Joseph and Benjamin, daughters Margaret Ward , Ann Fogg, Hester, and Mary; step-sons Abraham and Daniel Tilton.

 

Children

1.    Margaret baptized at Gawsworth July 4, 1626; married Thomas Ward by 1651. 

2.    Mary baptized at Gawsworth November 8, 1629; died in Cambridge, Massachusetts on January 26, 1639/40. 

3.    Ann baptized at Gawsworth April 22, 1632; died Dec. 9, 1663, at Hampton; married Samuel Fogg of Hampton December 22, 1652. 

4.    Joseph baptized at Gawsworth, Nov. 12, 1635; died at Hampton Nov. 8, 1720; married Elizabeth Partridge Jan. 26, 1661/2. 

5.    Esther born at Cambridge, Massachusetts in June, 1638; living in August, 1660, when she was named in her father's will. 

6.    Benjamin born in Cambridge July, 1641; died at Hampton December 31, 1717; married Esther Richardson on May 25, 1663

7.    Mary Shaw born in Cambridge Sept. 29, 1645; married Thomas Parker by January, 1668/9. 

Hampton Founders Memorial park

Hampton has a small triangular-shaped park dedicated to the Founders and early families of Hampton.  At the center of the park is a huge 12-ton boulder with a plaque is dedicated to "a little band of pioneers under the leadership of Rev. Stephen Bachilder,".

43 Smaller stones representing the early families of Hampton are planted around the perimeter of the Park. This is the Shaw family stone.

My relationship

Roger Shaw 1594-1661                                      10G-grandfather

Joseph Shaw 1635-1720                                     9G-grandfather

Elizabeth Shaw [Sleeper] 1664-1708                  8G-grandmother

Elizabeth Sleeper 1683-1745                              7G-grandmother

Daniel Young 1710-1750                                     6G-grandfather

Hannah Young [Roberts] 1740-1815                   5G-grandmother

John Roberts 1776-1851                                     4G-grandfather

Margery Roberts [Donegan] 1811-1848              3G-grandmother

Rhoda M Donegan 1840-1920                             2G-grandmother

Frank Wilbur McDowell 1877-1960                      Great-grandfather

Bertha McDowell [Reppel] 1906-1963                 Grandmother